10th International Aerosol Conference
September 2 - September 7, 2018
America's Center Convention Complex
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

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Long-Range Transport of Biogenic Aerosols Monitored at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory (CVAO) from 2015 to 2016

DOUGLAS MORRISON, Martin Gallagher, David Topping, Ian Crawford, Michael Flynn, Katie Read, Paul Kaye, Virginia Foot, University of Manchester

     Abstract Number: 49
     Working Group: Bioaerosols

Abstract
Long-range transport of biogenic aerosols can have important ecological consequences. It can introduce species and diseases to new environments, shift ecosystem dynamics and lead to animal and human diseases, including common respiratory problems in humans. They can damage crop yields, leading to food insecurity, and may also affect climates by influencing cloud and precipitation formation. It is therefore important to understand the mechanisms, activities and conditions by which it can occur and to quantify, through observational studies, the magnitude and frequency of such contributions. On the eastern coast of the island of São Vicente, the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory (CVAO) monitored bioaerosols from October 2015 to September 2016 using a WIBS 4M UVLIF bioflureoscent aerosol spectrometer. Using a newly developed UVLIF discrimination algorithm, analysis showed significant seasonal trends in concentrations over the 11 months, with a distinct peak during December. As the relative number of total aerosols does not fully explain this rise, it is concluded that the elevated bioaerosol concentrations during this period were the result of long range transport following biomass burning in Western Africa. Seasonal back trajectory analyses were undertaken to support this conclusion to determine and confirm the bioaerosols source region, primarily the West African continent. Hierarchical cluster analysis is also used on the single particle UVLIF signatures to identify the probable class of bioaerosols observed and to relate these to seasonal source changes. The aim of this study is to distinguish contributory sites or activities, natural or anthropogenically influenced, on bioaerosol dispersion and to quantify their wider impacts.